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A unique and extraordinary monument encompassing both civil and religious functions,
Orsanmichele was defined by Antonio Paolucci as a “Temple of Work”, because it symbolically represents the city Guilds, who not only built the structure but were also responsible for the prosperity of the free Florentine Municipality in the thirteenth century.
It was also, as recalled by the fondly remembered Mayor of the city Piero Bargellini, “the place in which the Grain of the Municipality was stored: the Grain of the people and of the poor, provisions which the provident decrees of the Republic sought to defend from speculation at all times, and in particular during times of famine”. However, in the middle of the fourteenth century the granary was consecrated for Christian worship.
The original sculptures from the exterior of the building can be found on the first floor of the museum. These works, which were commissioned from the most famous Florentine artists in the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries, were placed in niches located on the four sides of the imposing building, which is conveniently positioned half-way between the Palazzo della Signoria and the Santa Maria del Fiore Cathedral. On the second floor of the Museum, above the construction, one can observe a remarkable and unparalleled panorama of Florence.
From the interior of the church we can admire the magnificent marble tabernacle of the Madonna delle Grazie. Services are held regularly, including holy mass.
Visitors can also enjoy public concerts organized by the museum.